The one who saw it all
by udulutca
Summary: I always wanted to write a story about the person who commanding all the units in the game, the "eye in the sky guy". Starts in SC1 and will go to the end of SC2 LOTV. Will become AU at parts. Ignores the Nova DLC. If you don't like, don't flame. Just trying to tell a story. Also, looking for a better title and a beta.
1. Strongarm

**This story will start in Starcraft 1 and continue through SC2. Will start to become AU at an unknown time for now, will ignore the Nova DLC. Will be focused around an OC i am creating that will be joining our whole team of galactic travellers as they move through the arc of SC1 and SC2 along with some stuff in between. Please note that some aspects of gameplay are going to be changed to fit real-life combat (using guns to take down buildings by just firing bullets, not very realistic)**

 **For those who are unaware, there was a prologue campaign for SC1 called "looming". For those who want a full synopsis of what happened, just google "SC1** **L** **oomings" and read through the wiki. My character will begin from there. I have played both but am replaying the SC1 campaign through the Starcraft Mass Recall so those visuals is what I have to go off of. Also, there are large amounts of info from the Wiki in order to make this realistic. Updates may be sporadic since I work during the evening and have classes twice a week.**

 **Standard disclaimer: I dont own Starcraft 1 or 2, only my oc characters. The rest is owned by Blizzard Entertainment and Activision**

My name was Adam Rastolf and am a proud member of the Confederacy Marine Corp. I had just been promoted to 1st Lieutenant for Alpha Squadron by General Edmund Duke himself. I was awed to think that I was given approval for the promotion from my current rank and to take command of Alpha Squadron.

I had been serving with the Confederacy for several years, a mere volunteer hoping to make this corner of the galaxy safer. I always expected to be a man stuck in the trenches and never make it out, either die in action or be sent home missing an arm or leg. When the General himself sent me the notice for promotion over our communication system, I was astounded. Most of my other squad mates congratulated me and made jokes about how I was now being forced out of my armor in order to sit behind a screen for the most part.

It was shortly after I had received my promotion that I was ordered by the higher ups to report to the Colonial Magistrate on Chau Sara, neighboring planet of Mar Sara. Apparently, the rebel/terrorist group, the Sons of Korhal, were raiding the colony. When we arrived on the near deserted planet, we set up a base camp at the colony while I met with the Magistrate, who went by the name of Collins. After he informed me that I was not to arrest any rebels and to shoot to kill, I got to work.

As I exited the Magistrate's office, I turned to my escort marines and started relaying orders. Turning to the first, I said: "Get the SCVs moving, I want a steady supply of materials and get that vespene geyser active. We came ill prepared and need access to the Uranium-238 shells." As he saluted and moved to deliver the orders, I turned to the second and relayed: "Get those recruits up and out of their bunks, we need some more men on the perimeter to make sure that the Sons of Korhal don't cause too many headaches to the townsfolk." The other marine saluted and moved towards the barracks that held the recruit that we had just received from command.

I then turned towards the command center and entered through the command bay, passing through the automated security check. I passed by the infirmary located on the lower levels before getting on the lift that would lead me to the Operations Room. Punching in my newly given access code, I entered the room which was the brain of the base. The adjutant that was linked into the communications and control system hung in the middle while operators and other members of command moved around to get the base up and running. Walking from the door to the raised console that was for the commanding officer, I walked sat down and pulled up my holo display, showing me a map of the area along with current military strength and several other displays regarding current projects and research.

Looking at the display, I saw that the vespene geyser had just begun construction and the academy was finished. I was brought out of my searching by my 2nd in command entering the operations room. Once I had been promoted, General Duke told me to either select a 2nd in command or that he would send one to assist me. I looked over and saw that my 2nd in command was female which was uncommon but not unheard of. She was dressed in her officer's uniform, matching mine but her epaulet showed that she was second in command. She was young, about 23 years old. As much as I should not have thought this, she was striking. Long black hair fell behind her in a ponytail and her face had a certain draw to it.

She moved towards the command console, carrying a small datapad with her and having a single ear headset hooked around her ear. As she neared, I stood, waiting for her to come to a comfortable distance. She stopped at the base of the steps that lead to the pavilion that I stood on and stood at attention. Addressing her, I asked: "Name and Rank". She responded, her voice stern but still had a musical quality to it: "2ndLt. Auriel Markburg, 2nd in command to the Alpha Squadron, transferred from 102nd Division on Tarsonis." With that, she handed over her datapad to me. I accepted the pad, seeing that it displayed her profile from her division on Tarsonis. Scanning through, I commented: "Very impressive, Lt. Top marks from officer training, great strategist, low casualty rate, good remarks from the Old Families. I can see why Dule transferred you to my group."

Handing back the datapad, I turned back to the overhead display and spoke out to the adjutant for a status report. A portrait of the adjutant popped up on my screen, her monotone voice relaying: "Commander, the vespene geyser that i within the vicinity is nearing the end of construction and both barracks are operational. Our engineering bay is operational as well but we do not have adequate vespene gas to commence research to increase the firepower and protection of our infantry. Supplies and power is holding steady. Mineral income is near 300 kilos an hour and has a current holding of 500 kilos. Vespene has a projected income of around 200 kilos an hour upon refinery completion. Schematics for the standard CMC-300 armor and C-14 rifles are available for marines while standard Firebat CMC-660 armor and Perdition flamethrowers schematics have been uploaded to our system, Commander. Overall, status is green, Commander. We are up and running."

Gazing out at the display once more, the recruits had finally decided to show up to the party since a fresh squad of marines stood outside their barracks in the staging area, mostly lazing about. I huffed with the thought 'damn recruits' crossing my mind. I then routed into their suits' comm system and said: "Recruits, I see that this is your first mission by the way that you are lazing about and not asking for orders. For that, you men are to patrol the perimeter of the base." Zeroing on two of the twelve new members, I continued: "you two, take point and get the rest of your squad moving."

I then turned back to my display and noted that the geyser was complete and several SCVS were heading towards to begin transportation of the refined gas. Turning back to Auriel who was still standing at attention, I gave her the salute and she fell into an at ease state. I stepped down the steps towards Auriel and said: "Walk with me, Auriel. I will show you to your quarters. Then, we shall tour the base and see for ourselves that everything is running well." She responded with a "yes, sir" and followed me on my right. As I neared the door leading to the lift that would take us down to the command bay, I spoke to the adjutant: "Adjutant, should a concern arise, contact 2ndLt. Auriel who will be with me and can alert me to the situation. Confirm?" Her voice responded: "Confirmed, Commander. Protocols in place."

Auriel and I then left the operations room and descended on the lift toward the command bay. As the lift lowered, we passed by the SCV fabrication and maintenance bay where a new SCV was being developed for use in the field. Once the lift touched the floor of the command bay and the protective railing dropped, we both stepped off. We turned towards the exit of the command bay and cleared the entrance before the SCV that was in production wheeled out, its pilot aiming it towards the mineral patches where others were working. Auriel and I moved towards the pair of barracks that stood high against the heat of this planet.

We entered the first one where Auriel was to be stationed when under my command. We walked up the ramp into the deployment room. As we entered, we both see the familiar sight of the armor bays where the men would suit up. Walking through the deployment room, we then moved towards the bunk room. The door slid open to reveal several rows of bunks and lockers for the recruit's personal effects. Right upon entering, there was a door that sat in the middle of the walls. The door would not open without the correct entry to the keypad to undo the locks. I entered in the standard code, opening the door and allowing Auriel to step inside where her gear had already been placed. I gestured for her to enter which she did with a nod and she moved towards her gear. I spoke up: "I will give you some time to become adjusted to your new accommodations. I will come get you after I have refreshed over in my quarters back at the CC. Keep your comm open at all times and be ready after about an hour or so. Also, the code to the keypad can be adjusted to be your own personal code but it will still accept my code should the need arise that I need to enter your quarters." With a nod, I stepped away and made my way to the other barracks where my quarters were posted.

Entering my quarters which looked exactly like Auriel's, I opened the locker that contained my personal effects. Inside was a second officer's uniform along with additional clothing issued by the Quartermaster. On the top of the locker stood a small lockbox. I reached under my collar and pulled out the key that hung around my neck. I understood that there were more advanced systems nowadays but I had a personal love of history and antiques so I kept an old lockbox with any treasures that I came across during my duty. Undoing the lock and opening the lid, I saw the only prized possession I had before joining the Corp. My family held onto it until I had gotten promoted, which was then sent to me before being shipped to Chau Sara. I had my father's corp dogtags which he had given to me when I was a child. I reached over and grabbed the tags, fingering the edges, the feel of them memorized in my head. After reminiscing about my mother and father, i then moved onto the other thing that I held in that box. It was an old handgun that fit in the box. A standard FN Five- Seven sat with several loaded clips sat, still ready for use. This model was old and was considered ineffective against the battle armor that was used today in regular combat so it was discontinued but I always held onto it. I then noted the time and went to use the restroom.

After using the toilet, I went to wash my hand but stopped when I saw my reflection in the mirror. Standing in view of the mirror, I saw myself and was reminded about how much I looked like my parents. I had my father's grey hair (everyone makes fun about how he looks like an old man with it but it actually came from a birth defect that both me and my father shared) which shined like liquid silver and his chiseled chin but then I had my mother's eyes, which were a steel-electric blue. My hair was set in a crew cut and had some silvery stubble on the edge of my chin. My face was lean and angular, many girls back home thought that I was the hot guy on the block and got upset when i enlisted, one of them ever saying that all the handsome ones always head to war and their left with the ugly ones.

I then saw the rest of myself, wide shouldered like my father again but whereas my father was often called a mass of muscle, i was thin, some even thought that i was too thin. Many of the other soldiers gave me the nickname "Stickman" as many claimed they could snap me like a stick out of humor. I got the joke and let it stick around since i thought it was funny myself. I was tall, about 6'1". I stood in my uniform, a standard officer's uniform with the Alpha Squadron on my collar.

I then left and retrieved Auriel from her quarters before we took a short tour of the base. We stopped by the mineral patches and stopped one of the SCVs. After speaking with the pilot and asking for his opinion on the current situation before moving along to the veteran squad that was working with the recruits. As the recruits got themselves moving, we returned to the CC and started watching the ongoing operations around the sector. Auriel and I read through several reports of the Sons of Korhal, finding that they were headed by Arcturus Mengsk, a man born of Angus and Katherine Mengsk. His profile showed the he was a graduate from the well known Styrling Academy and showed strong leadership skills during his time there. He did however have several clashes with his principal and a general distaste for authority.

Reading through more of his profile, he enlisted in the Confederate Marine Corps and did very well early in his career, allowing him to rise in the ranks quickly. One of the infamous marks on his record was the battle in Turanga Canyon, along with when his unit was called in on short notice in 2485 to work with Alpha Squadron and their captain at the time, Edmund Duke. There, Mengsk and Duke clashed on command styles but they both were able to fight their way through the Kel-Morian Combine at Noranda Glacier. From there, the Guild Wars began.

During another deployment, he met 1stLt. Horace Warfield who they both formed a quick camaraderie. Near the end of the Guild Wars, he gained the rank of Colonel. At the end of the war, he left the military and went on to be a prospector which he originally dreamed of becoming. He later heard that his family had been murdered, largely due to his father being an anti-Confederate senator from Korhal to the Confederate. From there, you could see him amass group of soldiers into a rebellious army that was now known as the Sons of korhal

I was interrupted by a blaring alarm that one of my patrol groups were under attack by rebels. I lowered my current research and called out to Lt. Auriel: "Lieutenant, give me a status report." She immediately responded: "One of our squads have engaged with the Sons of Korhal. It looks like nothing more than a small raiding party, 5 armed combatants in standard marine armor." As I watched to see if the defenders would be successful, one of the enemy riflemen threw a grenade, taking out four members of the six man squad and injuring the other two. I activated my voice comm and relayed for the group to fall back. I then radioed into the old squad and had them move to intercept. These men was the ones where with me before I made the promotion and wanted to enroll under my command. These men had at least one to two years of field experience and knew how to survive a firefight. As the new recruits were retreating, the rebels then tried to move towards the CC since they saw a clear shot, probably aiming to take me down.

Seeing that the seasoned squad would not be able to make it in time on their own and the hatch would not be able to close in time to prevent entry, I radio over: "Veteran Squad, they are heading to the CC and the recruit squad is down several men. I don't have enough time to close the hatch As your CO, I authorize the use of the combat drug, Stimpack. Use at your discretion. Aim to kill." Lt. Auriel turned her head towards me and raised an eyebrow but over the radio, I heard the head of the squad, callsign Skyguy "This is Skyguy. Radio confirm authorization of Stimpack. We're enroute." I then hear the servo of his suit begin to increase in tempo, evident of the use of the stimpack, leading to a boost in energy and speed. The display shows that the veteran squad will intercept them at the cost of their health, as stimpack has some last effects on the body even for the short amount of use. The combination of drugs has a maximum use of four times per person without killing the user.

The veteran squad intercepted the enemy group and opened fire, quickly taking down the group with minimal loss. As the bodies were removed and then dumped on the edge of the base, the all clear was given and I relayed order to Auriel to have the injured men tended to and to have the other men get into their suits so we could refill the ranks. Shortly after we doubled our ranks, I ordered the veteran squad to exit the colony and head into the wasteland that dominated the majority of the planet. There were signs of life on the radar which was not uncommon, seeing as how rhynadons and karaks were common on the planet. What was odd about this one though was that the contacts were very close together while usually they were solitary creatures.

The mass of unknown contacts moved towards the Veteran Squad and entered the view of my squad. I radioed over: "Skyguy, this is Command. Unknown contact noted heading your direction, keep your heads on a swivel and your finger on the trigger." Skyguy radioed over a 10-4 and I then spoke outloud to the adjutant that was installed into the CC, helping me with the simple things around base.

I yell out: "Adjutant, can we get any scans done on those lifeforms? Their behavior is acting rather strange." The metallic voice returned: "Sorry, Commander but the lifeforms are out of range of our current scanner ranges for identification." Auriel's voice came through with a suggestion: "With your forgiveness, sir, may i recommend we build a comsat station. I will not take long to produce and allows greater scanning range, along with sweeps that allows us to identify any signals in a certain area." She swiped her hand over the holo display, sending the file of the comsat station to appear.

I took a quick moment to study the file, reading about its use and design. I then smile, turn my head towards Auriel and say: "Remind me to thank General Duke for sending the correct person for the job. My thanks. Lieutenant." She gave a simple "Thank you, sir" before returning to the holopage. I then had the adjutant work on getting one set up as soon as we can so we have access to that technology.

Several hours went by and it was quiet again. The lifeforms that were detected were still hours away from the team out in the field, who were searching that dreaded landscape for the rebel base. I was returning from the restroom at the CC when I found Auriel waiting outside the door. She relayed that the Operations Room were getting a transmission from the veteran team. She had already hailed Magistrate Collins and had him listening as well.

I returned to my station and spoke over the headset: "This is 1stLt. Adam. Go ahead." Skyguy's voice rang through the line: "Sir! We've got incoming. And I'll be damned if I can identify them! I have no idea what these damn things are but they ain't normal critters." I was about to respond when Magistrate Collins beat me to the order: "Whatever they are, you must destroy them, Lieutenant! That is a direct order!" I was about to argue when one of the operators in the Operations Hub called out: "Sir, unidentified vehicles approaching from the northwest. There appears to be two infantry transports and two modified Goliath-class mechs on the field." He then glanced back at me and said: "It appears that they are trying to hail us, sir."

I nodded to the man and said: "Patch them through." Another voice came through: "Recon squad Cerberus reporting. We're here to oversee the extermination of these xenomorphs and contain the spread of any hostile infestation on this colony." Collins replied: "Why wasn't I informed of this? Confederate Command never consulted -"

"We have our own orders, Magistrate. We don't answer to you. I suggest we get on with this mission."

Collins merely grunted and ended the transmission but I continued with this new Commander: "Commander, as the 1stLt in control of Alpha Squadron, I wish to establish the chain of command here. Shall you be taking command of my troops or shall they operate under my control still?"

"Don't worry about that, Lt. Adam. We aren't here to take control. We were merely sent to fulfill the mission. You have control of my forces but ask too many questions and there will be consequences." I give my confirmation and the force continues: "As you may have noticed, my squad consists of two Cerberus goliaths and a small team of Elite firebats. Please note that the firebats have been given free access to Stimpack, which I am sure you are familiar with. Due to their rank and clearance, they may use this freely." I once again sent my confirmation and ordered his men to join my veteran squad out in the field.

The new Cerberus Squad gave a 10-4 and they began to move out. I then lowered my headset and rubbed the oncoming headache, now that things have gotten worse. Over the next hour, the new squad met up with the others and they pressed forward. After several more hours of searching, they reported in that they had spotted the rebel's base in a small canyon.

After a careful consideration, I ordered the attack and the group moved forward. The Cerberus firebats used the stimpacks and were able to absorb a large amount of the munitions fired upon them by the defending rebels. The rebels quickly were routed and they disappeared into the wasteland.

The assault group returned while suffering minimal damage to my natural forces. Even though the Cerberus unit absorbed a greater amount of the damage, they refused to come into our infirmary and be healed. They merely returned to their transports and headed out. As they left, their commander sent me a private message: _We will be in contact tommorow. Keep your radio frequencies open for the next mission._

I rubbed my head since another headache had returned and I was in no mood to deal with Collins. I stood and began to exit the operations room. Stopping at the exit, I turned back to the Adjutant and said: "Adjutant, Auriel has the conn. I am not to be disturbed before the next morning." The adjutant replied: "Confirmed, Lt. Protocols in place." I then exited and returned to my quarters, where I shed my uniform, took a short shower and then slept for the night. The last thing that crossed my mind was the strange creatures that were encountered today. This was truly the beginning of something greater than just a rebellion.

 **If you got to the end, thank you. Please leave a review or comment. Also, looking for a beta tester.**


	2. The Gauntlet part 1

**Hey, guys. Sorry its been a while. No, this story is not abandoned, im just lazy... Either way, heres the next chapter. Still looking for a beta.**

The next morning came too soon but I knew that it was time to face the music either way and deal with Collins and the recent development of these strange creatures that had been discovered. After my morning routine, Lt. Auriel reported in as we returned to the Operations Room at the CC. The Cerberus Squad hadn't returned but I wasn't expecting them to. Something about the way they were strict on information and appeared as if they knew what these creatures were beforehand, just created more suspicion around the squad and their motives.

As Auriel and I ran through the reports about yesterday's events, a transmission came through with Collins and the Cerberus Commander. Collins started the conference:

"Greetings again, Lieutenant. I know you're anxious for some answers about those creatures. Suffice to say they are the subject of current high-level research. We had quarantined a number of these creatures for study, but shortly after our science crews began their experiments, all communications with the Flannum Installation was lost."

My thoughts raced: 'High-level research? What do we want to do with these creatures?' Before I could think too far on this, my thoughts were interrupted by the Cerberus Commander:

"The installation has been compromised, and preliminary scanner sweeps indicate the area is crawling with hostiles. My Cerberus unit will handle the situation inside, but we require Alpha Squadron's assistance getting here. Any other information is on a strict need to know basis."

After that, the transmission ended and the coordinates of the facility were transmitted to my hub signified by a blinking light in the corner of the display. Forwarding the coordinates to the Adjutant, it was then sent to all liftable buildings and the lift off protocols began. The infantry formed up and began to enter the available ground transports before rolling out in the direction of the facility.

Sitting down in my command chair, my thoughts continue to run about the facility: 'What was being done at the Flannum Installation? What caused them to lose the installation? What are they doing to these strange creatures there?' My curiosity getting the better of me, I determined to try to find out what I can

As we waited for the protocols to give an all clear, I turned to Lt. Auriel asking:

"Lt. what do you know about the Flannum facility?"

Lt. Auriel grabbed a small data pad and swiped to the side. The image that was on the pad appeared on my holopage next to the command chair as her findings came through:

"Sir, currently what is known about the Flannum facility is it's hidden from most personnel since the info is above top secret. Being involved in the mission to retake the facility, we are granted a very minimal amount of information, mostly regarding its whereabouts and the surrounding area. Unfortunately, there is not much to go off of, seeing as how most of the information is redacted from us."

I groaned upon hearing that there was almost no information other than our potential combat zone, while all-in-all not the worst situation, is still pretty damn annoying. I didn't get to stew much when one of the operators manning communications called out:

"Sir, all liftoff preparations are finished and we have a code green for all buildings."

"Finally, at least some good news". I then gave the order and everything was underway.

There was a rumbling from the CC as it fired up the thrusters below, the command chair rattling. As they reached the optimal power, the CC began ascending into the sky as it climbed over the surrounding cliffs. Upon clearing the cliffs, a second set of thrusters activated to move the CC towards the coordinates of the facility. The rest of the buildings followed close behind and gave all clears, operation was a go.

Seeing as that the flight out took some time to arrive at our destination, the shift of operators were given a reprieve to refresh and catch up before we possibly have to go in with guns blazing.

To pass the time, I had everyone drop the formalities, seeing as how we were basically "off the clock", and struck up some friendly conversation between each other. Most of the operators were kind, young men and women who gave the level of respect when required but could still have a good laugh and a truly positive conversation. One of the operators even decided to hack the protocols for restrictive use and had the holonet playing some form of sport on his screen, where several others gathered and would scream and holler throughout the game.

Seeing that everyone was getting along even "outside of the office", a smile came across my face and I continued to spend time with the others. The only one who seemed to be a little too distant was Auriel. She was still too formal and restricted to truly enjoy the little bit of time that was free between missions like this.

Upon seeing that she was merely having polite conversation, I pulled her aside and asked:

"Something the matter, Auriel?"

She raised an eyebrow:

"Sir, you know that it is informal and against protocol to call me by my first name, correct?"

I chuckled at her citation of the rules before responding:

"Indeed I do, _Lt._ Auriel. But also, I have given permission to forgo those formalities and treat each other as equal individuals."

"But you would think that nearing a mission, they should be monitoring the systems, making sure that everything is in place to be."

"The protocols are already in place, and the Adjutant can easily inform me if there is any form of disturbance or issue. The infantry are already on the way and will have a perimeter established when we arrive. So there is nothing to fear, Auriel. Simply relax, blow off some steam, letting everything go for a couple of hours."

Looking into her eyes, I saw thoughts whizzing through her head as she fought inside herself to either remain as the obedient soldier or to break code and enjoy some time away from it all.

After a moment of debating with herself, she shook her head and exited the OR. Deciding to leave her be, I walked up to the observation deck and took a seat to watch the scenery flow beneath us. Even though it was mostly wasteland with very little change, it still had its own form of beauty and I simply sat and watched.

About four hours later, the Adjutant informed me that we were nearing the landing zone and that Cerberus Squad had already arrived with the previous team of firebats and goliaths. The infantry that had been enroute had already established a perimeter and were set to go. After getting the rest of the operators back to manning their stations, I established the protocol once we landed, mostly getting our base up and running along with some defenses in place.

Once we set down, the SCVs got to work, setting a few bunkers and depots. The barracks and engineering bay came down shortly afterwards, establishing our base. As everything was being established, the Cerberus Commander opened a channel to me:

"Lt, your mission is to clear the xenomorphs around the facility, not to enter it. Consider this your only warning. Any attempts to enter will be met with a court martial and possible termination."

With that, he cut the connection. I was simply shook by how cold and emotionless his voice seemed. Just from that, I could tell that his threat was true and he was willing to take the necessary actions to follow through on that threat. Of course, the other thought that went through my mind is 'But I only just started my command. Talk about a short career'.

A beep came from the direction of Lt. Auriel's station. She quickly checked to see what it was:

"Sir, it appears that the Cerberus Squad has forwarded us the blueprints to the mobile factory along with…."

She scanned the next document:

"...schematics for the vulture-class hover bikes. They also sent the schematics for stationary missile turrets."

'Well, at least we can get some better scouts that can cover more distance than just a marine on his own two feet.' I relayed to Auriel that once we were landed and well defended, I wanted a factory going and some vultures to scout the nearby area to get a feel of the surrounding terrain.

As everything began to fall into place, we were attacked by these strange creatures once again. The small ones were expected but then there was also a different form of these creatures that simply left me stunned. These new creatures were tall and lanky, walking or more like slithering around on a snake-like tail. A large set of mandibles were featured along with large scythes. But what shocked me was the fact that they fired these strange projectiles that were strong enough to pierce the marine's armor like it was paper.

The small ones went down quickly but these taller ones combined were able to kill off a couple of the marines before the rest of the squad moved to drown them in gunfire. Deciding to fill in the gaps in my defences, I reinforced the defensive line with another couple of bunkers and assigned a couple of SCVs for emergency repairs.

Once the defenses were tightened, I asked the Adjutant to give the nearest route to the facility.

After a few seconds came her response:

"Lt. the quickest route to the facility is across the bridge to the north. Preliminary scans indicate xenomorphs on the same path. Recommend military escort."

'No shit, robot'. I radioed over the Veteran Squad that had accompanied us on the earlier mission and had them form up with the Cerberus Squad. Transmitting the route indicated to reach the location from the adjutant, the Firebats took point and the squad followed with the goliaths in tow.

All was seeming to be running smoothly when an alert sprang up and rang through the operation room. Auriel's voice rang out as well:

"Sir, there seems to be several UFOs enroute to our command center. ETA about 15 minutes."

'Great, when things were going smoothly.'

I opened a com to the emergency SCVs: "Repair team, fall back to the command center and get a couple of missile turrets up. We have bogeys in coming."

"Right away sir."

The team was able to get two turrets up in time before the UFOs came within visual view. Wanting to get a visual gaze of these creatures, I vaulted towards the observation deck. Considering everything that I have seen so far, I was still surprised at these creatures that now seemed to have grown wings. 'Wonderful, now we got uglies in the sky.'

These abominations that were flying towards our position, the best way that I could describe them were flying nightmares. These things flew with slender bodies that hung from a set of bat wings. The eyes of the creatures seemed to be resting on the top while some strange orifice was at the bottom.

As they neared, Lt. Auriel called out: "Sir, they are now within range. Turrets are opening fire."

Smirking at the fact to get a front seat to the show, I merely watched the turrets unleashed volley on volley of longbolt missiles. The flying xenomorphs were quickly taken down but the strange creatures got off a few volleys of their own form of projectile. The projectiles would impact the first target and it appeared to bounce to nearby targets, doing a less amount of damage per bounce. All in all, nothing the SCV team couldn't handle.

With that out of the way, my full attention was returned to the Cerberus Squad and the Veteran Squad that had accompanied them to the bridge. Just for extra insurance, several vultures and another contingent of marines and firebats were forwarded to their position to help them.

The combined platoon then moved out and started working towards the facility, working through the occasional alien group. As they moved through, something struck me as odd. 'These creatures seemed to be getting smarter about fighting us. They setting up ambushes, trying to flank my men in the open if possible. Too smart for just some random creatures.'

After about another hour of fighting through these strange creatures, the platoon came across quite an anomaly.

Skyguy, the lead marine from the Veteran Squad radioed in:

"This is Skyguy, requesting the 1st Lt."

I quickly replied:

"This is Adam, go ahead."

"There is some strange substance coating the whole ground, sir. I have no idea what it is, sir, but it isn't natural."

"Give me a visual feed, I want to see this for myself."

After a second, the screen in front of me gave a live feed of the cam posted on the front of the marine's suit. Upon inspecting the ground, there was something that stopped me for a second. 'Why is the ground purple?'

Skyguy came through again:

"You seeing this sir?"

"Yes, I am. I have no idea whatever the hell that… stuff is."

"Well, whatever it is sir, it ain't natural but there seems to be no harm when stepping on it. It almost feels spongy."

Giving it a quick thought, I told them to proceed. As much as I wanted to find out what the heck that gunk is, we had a mission to complete. The platoon encountered little resistance on the rest of way to the facility.

Upon gaining visual confirmation of the facility and reporting no hostiles in the area, one of the Cerberus firebats came through, his voice low and gruff:

"Sir, tac team has reached the installation. You watch things out here. We'll take care of things inside."

Before I could retort, he ended the connection and the Commander came through:

"Lieutenant, we have access the installation's primary bio-scanners and have ascertained that there is still a number of Confederate scientists inside."

Collins then came online with a rebuttal:

"What? I'm the only one who has the installation's access codes! How did you override my security clearance?"

"I told you before, Magistrate, we don't answer to you. We are to infiltrate the installation and evacuate any remaining confederate personnel. Now let's move, gentlemen. We're on a tight schedule."

With a scoff and snide remark about how the higher Command will be hearing about this, Collins cut out but the Commander continued:

"Lt., my firebats will move into the facility and clear it before escorting the civilians inside to the entrance. I will leave the goliaths to allow you to bolster your defenses while you wait for my men to return. Confirmed?"

I quickly gave my confirmation before he gave his final warning:

"Once again, none of your men are to enter the facility. You know the consequences."

With that, he cut the connection.

Now acting on their own, the Cerberus firebats moved towards the entrance whereas the Goliath fireteam moved towards both sides of the door and turned to stand guard. Knowing that we were going to be waiting for a while, I had the rest of the platoon set up a perimeter and hold position until the firebat team returned. The entrance opened with a hiss and the neosteel doors slid open with a grind. The team entered and the doors closed behind them.

Now came the part of a mission that I always hated: the waiting game. Since it was unknown how long it would take for those firebats to clear the facility, all we could do was guard and wait.


	3. The Gauntlet part 2

**Its short but it felt as a good way to setup for the next chapter.**

It was reaching nearly 3 hours of no word from either Collins or the Cerberus Commander when our station finally received a hail from the C. Commander.

"Lt., my squad reports that they are nearly complete with the thorough search of the facility. Be ready to return to base for withdrawal."

At a mere nod, he continues:

"When the team returns to the surface, they will be accompanied by several scientists who were found in the rubble of the facility. They will be loaded into one of your ground transports and escorted back to the base where they will then be evac'd off world. Also, several members of Alpha Squadron who we had lost contact with were found inside the facility as well, when they return, I'll leave them in your care. They have been instructed to not speak of what was inside the facility without my or another Commander's permission."

With that, he cut out. Letting out a heavy sigh, I relayed the orders to the perimeter team to be ready for withdrawal and had the transport stationed right outside the entrance. With that, the waiting game returned but not for nearly as long as before.

After roughly 20 minutes, the entrance to the facility opened with a hiss. Two of the firebats exited and stationed themselves next to the goliaths who had stood guard the whole time. A group of civilians/scientists exited the damaged facility and boarded a nearby transport. The other two firebats from Cerberus along with several marines that had been inside when the facility was overrun exited. The Cerberus Squad immediately took up escort of the transport and they began to move back to base, the perimeter guard and those rescued forming up on them.

After a short relay of orders from our end, I cut the comm and left my station. Auriel followed close behind while I merely wandered the CC, letting my tension fall from the mission. After a short walk, I found myself at the launch bay doors where the SCVs were still harvesting the last of the minerals that were accessible without drilling down into the earth. Emitting a sigh, I thought outloud:

"We finally have some answers but they are kept locked away by red tape and commanders who would rather have the secrets remain hidden."

Auriel decided to cut in at that point:

"With all due respect, Sir, neither of us are of proper position for permission to be told secret info that is surely hidden for a good reason."

"As much as I wish that were true, Auriel, there are some that would just want to hide their moves just to hold it over the head of another. That is not how leadership should be."

As I growled about the corrupt way both the military and government is led, a ringing came from the com. Picking up the call, Skyguy came through:

"Commander, we are about 30 minutes out. We've encountered minimal resistance on the way there but I gotta tell you sir, those marines that come out of the facility, the way that they jump with the tiniest of movement or sound, makes me wonder what the hell it was that they were dealing with down there. Must have been worse than what we have had to deal with up here."

Hearing that, it made sense. I could only imagine what those marines went through, no power in those tight corridors, some unknown creatures moving through with the security systems going haywire. That would have done hell to anyone's nerves.

"I can only imagine, Skyguy. Just keep an eye on the caravan until you reach the perimeter."

"10-4, Commander."

After ending the connection, Auriel and I returned to the CC control room and started relaying orders to have the base ready to move since we had already gotten what we came here for.

After 30 minutes, the caravan showed up and the Cerberus Squad sectioned off an area of the base for their dropships to come and evac the scientists. The rest of the marines that came from inside the facility were told to go with them for a debriefing. I had the rest of the base pack up and load up for extraction.

The scientists and remaining marines were shortly after evacuated and Cerberus Squad followed not too long behind. We had just gotten the base of the ground and was moving towards our staging area where the rest of Alpha Squadron was to be stationed until a distress call came through.

"The city of Los Andares has fallen under attack by a large force of the creatures. General Duke himself has volunteered to aid you in retaking the city. Good luck, Lieutenant."

Sighing deeply at the thought of going back to fight more of those things, I ordered our buildings to return to staging while informing central command that I will meet General Duke outside the city. Auriel and I boarded a transport to meet up with Duke and we were on our way.


	4. Force of Arms

**A/N: Sorry for the long upload. Had to go through some changes with work and also had to move. Just think of this as a christmas gift for your patience. Leave a review, tell me what you think. Merry Christmas.**

 **P.S. I am still looking for a better. If anyone is interested, please message me or leave a review.**

As Auriel and I raced across the sky to reach the besieged city of Los Andares, reports kept coming in regarding what kind of hell we were getting ourselves into. The xenomorphs had made their way to the downtown area of the city but were being held at the Alpha Squadron outpost there. All that raced through my mind was the possible death and massacre of the city folk who were not able to defend themselves against such vicious creatures. The thought of innocent man, women, and children being torn apart, impaled and possibly even eating, if these creatures did require a meal, made my stomach roll and merely cemented the fact as to why I joined Alpha Squad: to protect the people of the Sara System, against all foes.

I was brought out of my musings by the pilot of the shuttle: "We are nearing the meeting point, better get ready." With a sigh, seeing as how it already had been rough for my squad with the last two assignments, I was ready for this to be done and over with. As we touched down, all I could think of is 'Hope we can bust through to the outpost.'

Auriel and I exited the shuttle, having been told that Duke was nearby with a strike squad, we quietly moved through the hills, hoping to find Duke before the xenomorphs found us.

After about 20 minutes, a rumble came from the northeast, one that sounded all too familiar to anyone on the front lines. Looking at the hill where the sound seemed to be coming from, I was relieved to see a siege tank break through the brush with a vulture/scv escort. Once we were within range, the top of the tank opened, and out popped the man we were supposed to meet up with, General Duke himself.

General Duke was a member of the Duke Family, a family that prided itself on having almost all of the men go into service and holding positions of authority in the Confederate Military. Duke himself was a loyal man to the Confederacy through and through, spending a long time on the front lines before climbing through the ranks at a slow pace, only reaching captain in his early 40s. His age had started to show as his hair was dusted with silver and deep wrinkles sat upon his face. But even during his advancing age, his ambitions and pride never dulled.

"Took you long enough, Lieutenant. Ready to get to work?"

Even though he came off as rough, everyone knew that the General looked out for his men. With a smile at his attitude, my reply was:

"Oh, what do you mean? We were waiting for you. Couldn't start this without you."

With that, Duke chuckled and pointed back where he came from:

"Was able to call in a favor for ya, think ya might like it."

Another rumble came through, but this time came something I did not expect. Another AAV-5 Arclite siege tank rolled up, ready for combat. As a soldier who had ridden, driven and controlled one of these before on a couple of missions before becoming Lt., I was ecstatic to have one of these for myself. The top popped open, and the driver signaled for me and Auriel to get in, which we quickly complied with.

As we entered, the sounds, the smells, the feel of the interior of the tank was quite welcoming in comparison to simply standing out in the wasteland with no power armor. The Arclite could be controlled with a minimum of one crew member, but three crew members are ideal for maximum efficiency. The tank was large enough to be considered an APC as well with side and back hatches to hold a small group of infantry. The large twin 80mm PPG-7 plasma cannons stood ready to fire, the chambers already loaded. Once the hatch closed behind us, the driver took his spot as the driver, near the front end of the tank. Auriel took the role as navigator, keeping a read on the radio. I took the role of the gunner, sitting in the turret. Resting my hands on the controls got my blood pumping once again, despite the fact that we did not know what the hell we were getting into.

The driver took control after handing Auriel and I headsets.

"This is Duke, do you read me?"

"This is Adam, read you loud and clear."

"Alright, ladies. Roll out."

With that, the main engine of the tank roared as we moved forward.

Our group crested the hill that we had positioned behind, bringing the sight of Los Andares into our view. The city had smoke and flames billowing out from the street level; several structures had collapsed.

The radio crackled as we switched over the combat radio, then a distress signal came through:

"To anyone hearing this message, this is the Alpha Squadron post in Los Andares. We are overrun by the xenomorphs. They are running rampant throughout the city, and our defenses are failing. We need reinforcement, evac, anythi-"

The radio cut out as the man grunts before a gurgling sound comes through. We all knew what that meant. Immediately, Duke took control.

"Lt., take point. We'll need to clear a path to the post before reinforcing' their defenses. Afterwards, we'll hit 'em hard."

I quickly responded:

"10-4, General. We'll make our way through. SCVs, stay behind Duke. Vultures, form up delta formation with my vehicle as the head, just follow us, Duke. Auriel, what's the fastest route to the outpost."

"Sir, it appears that the quickest route would be through the eastern district, then it's a straight path to the outpost."

With a quick confirm, we rolled out, the vultures fanning out around Duke and the SCVs. We sped as quickly as the tanks could go but it still took us about 20 minutes to reach the edges of the city. Strangely we did not encounter any xenomorphs on the way there, but we saw evidence of their carnage. Vehicles destroyed, damaged structures, and so many bodies of innocents. Innocent women and children, or sometimes what was left of them, littered the street, showing the devastation of letting these creatures run rampant.

A loud beep shook me from my thoughts as Auriel's voice rang out:

"Hostile approaching, its coming up the side street, 80 feet and closing, to the north."

Jerking the controls hard, I swung the turret around to face the threat she had been indicating. It was one of those larger Xenos we encountered at Flannum. I smirked as I thought 'Let's show them why people fear the Confederacy.' With that, I followed protocol:

"Hostile spotted, 75 feet, firing round 1."

I pulled the trigger, and the whole tank shook as the first round fired out of the chamber. An eyeblink later, the area of the hostile exploded, the shell destroying the target as well as the ground around it.

After the dust cleared, seeing nothing but the remains of the creature, I continued:

"Impact successful, target destroyed. Continue towards the outpost."

Activating the system to reload the round, I smirked as Duke responded:

"Nice shot, kid."

We reached the Alpha Squadron outpost shortly and found the outpost overrun with the smaller xenomorphs. The local barracks, command center and factory still stood, but the engineering bay was up in flames. A few marines were still alive but barely.

After clearing out the Xenos, we set up a tight perimeter before Duke had Auriel and I take control of the CC. After getting our supplies lines reestablished and had our forces grow to hold the city perimeter, our forces moved to the north to clear out the reported base of these creatures.

As we reached the base, we encountered two more threats to our forces outside of what we had seen already. We found some form of a biological defense tower/organism. A form of subterranean creature that would attack by lashing out with a sharpened tentacle that would burrow through the ground and impale the target. It would shred through a marine like a pig on a spit. The tanks were able to shrug it off with SCV repairs and take out the defenses outside of reach with Siege Mode. As they blasted away with their 120mm Shock cannons, we encountered something that we hoped to never see again.

As the troops blasted away at the defensive line of these creatures, the ground began to rumble, and not from the blasts of the tanks shelling away. It was rhythmic and was getting closer. Duke radioed in:

"Lt., we got tremors out here, and I got no idea where it's from. You see anything on the radar?"

As I was about to respond a no, the Adjutant cut in: "Large xenomorphic creature detected, it is en route to our forces."

Shocked, I established a video connection from Duke's tank and saw the carnage of the tanks, the smoke of the shells obscuring their line of sight. The camera would shake as the tank fired but then as the last round fired, an even bigger tremor hit the tank. Then through the smoke, can a field soldier's nightmare.

A massive xenomorph stepped through the smoke. It stood at least four marines high and could easily be the size of a large house. Large feet, almost like a deformed elephant's foot, stomped on the ground, leaving small indents with each step and causing a tremor with each step. The front of the torso, the skull and what appeared to be arms were covered in a thick bony plate that looks like it could stand a full hit from a siege tank shell. The crest of its head extended far back to cover its small thorax like section which carried its immense weight. But what sent shivers down your spine was the massive blades that extended from its arms. The blades stood at least 20-25 feet long and looked able to cleave through the neosteel that was the armor of the CC. I zoomed in the camera and got a look at its face. Through the actual head was small in comparison to the rest of its size, it was still frightening with large eyes that seemed to survey the ground in front of it. A massive mouth opened full of large sharp teeth, large to bit a man in two.

This massive thing then spotted our forces and seemed to roar a battle cry before it charged. It was followed by more of its smaller brethren as if it were a spearhead or a leader. I quickly jumped on the comms: "Artillery, focus all fire on the large xenomorph. Its must fall; otherwise, we will be shredded."

All the siege tanks aimed their sights at the large Xeno and Duke was the first to get in range and fire. The shell hit the bony plate on its skull, and it was surrounded by smoke and fire. It vanished for a second before it burst through again, still charging but a noted scorch mark on its skull. The rest of the tanks followed suit, and it's reflected more of the shells though it did seem to slow.

It got in range of the marines who opened fire on it and the other Xenos. As the other Xenos went down in a hail of gunfire, the big one kept moving and finally reached the group of marines before they could retreat. It took a massive swipe and cleaved a good section of the platoon. They were cut in two cleanly, and the last one was impaled on the end. As the creature moved to swing with its other arm, Duke was able to get off one more shot which seemed to take the beast down. It slumped and then fell over, crushing several other Xenos underneath it.

After that event, the rest of the forces pushed through until we came across what looked like to be a hive building. It was still completely organic as the scans showed little amounts of metal in it at all. This large structure seemed to be generating the "creep" around it along with what appeared to be eggs. Nevertheless, the tanks formed up a siege line and opened fire on it and the other nearby structures. After continuous shelling, the structure went down, and the others around it did as well.

Once a sweep of the area was completed, I had the group return and met Duke outside the CC as he exited the tank he was in. The old general seemed to be examining me as he walked up to me as if he was judging the way I ran my group.

Finally, Duke spoke as he arrived:

"You did well, kid. We got through with minimal losses, and those damn Xenos were wiped out from the area."

With a deep sigh that I didn't even realize I was holding, I replied: "At least these creatures didn't take down the outpost; otherwise the survivors would not be here. Now they can rebuild and grow their city once again."

Duke chuckled: "You sound like an old soldier already, kid. Get back to central command and tell them what happened here. I'll sort out the rest."

Giving a nod, I returned to the CC and opened a channel to Central Command, ready to ready to relay the debriefing of what happened out here. Once I reached command, they also brought in Magistrate Collins since this was his planet. I relayed what had happened including the creatures we encountered and the weird structures of the zerg.

As I finished my report, Collins began to offer his congrats on a job well done when the Cerberus Commander came on the line: "Well done, Lieutenant. I wish there were more Colonial Officers that had your tenacity and spirit. But right now we need to plan a tight defense. I've consulted with my top advisors, and I believe that if we establish a perimeter, we can-"

The Commander interjected with a tone of finality: "There is no time for that, magistrate. Our intelligence confirms that the time to strike the xenomorph's primary clusters is now. Lt., you will lead the assault."

"By whose authority? I am still Magistrate of this colony! And I will-"

"By order of the Colonial Crisis Act under sub-section 1602, I hereby supersede your authority in this matter. Lt, you may commence with the operation."

With that, the comm closed connection, and I groaned, just wanting to be done with this and getting back to Command for the next operation.


End file.
